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MISS AUDREY TAYLOR ~ The life of a Star for Madame Weebles

(Audrey at the Ball of the Century)

(Audrey Taylor was the name given to my Halloween persona by my late friend Neal Fitzgerald (Kay O’Pectate) the the following story was presented to me on my birthday as a Life Magazine article. I posted this for Madame Weebles enjoyment. Oh and Audrey has been retired now for many years.)

Story by Neal Fitzgerald (edited by Lanier Smith)

Audrey Taylor was born in the small English village of Highteasing On Wigg, Her family moved to London shortly before the war and during the blitz Audrey suffered hearing damage that left her tone deaf (all her singing in later musicals was dubbed) After the war the family emigrated to the U.S. where they settled in Riverside California. On a class field trip to Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Audrey stormed the stage and began belting out the old Baby Jane Hudson song “I’ve Written A Letter To Daddy” There was as Hollywood luck would have it a casting agent in the audience and the raven haired child was offered a screen test despite the fact that she could’t sing. It was her charm and un-natural beauty that got her a contact at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Her first film shot her to the top of the star roster at the studio. “Gassie Come Home” the story of an English farm girl and her flatulent old collie. At 18 she landed the part of a runaway princess to shacks up with a reporter in the enchanting “Neapolitan Holiday” who can forget the lithesome young Audrey being chased through the back alleys of Naples by a leering Van Johnson?

After her divorce from first Husband Nicky Six (heir to the Motel Six fortune) Audrey plunged headlong into a stream of hits, “The Girl Who Had Everyone”, “Elephant Stomp” and the delightful “Seborrhea” about the chauffeur’s daughter who marries a millionaire. “Humongous!” from the Edna Ferber bestseller about Oklahoma pig farmers. She stole the picture from co-stars Rory Calhoun and Sal Mineo as the gal with the biggest spread in the west.

Up next was “Funny Puss” with Pipi Chanel and Gene Kelly. Audrey wore a sensational wardrobe as the shop girl who becomes a lingerie model in Paris Although her singing was dubbed by Marnie Nixon, she danced up a storm with Kelly and Chanel.

At the premiere of the film, Audrey met the man who would become her second husband, larger-than-life producer Jack Rodd. They began a whirlwind romance in which he wooed her with fabulous gifts including a famous diamond engagement ring. Audrey’s life long passion for collecting jewels began at the time. I was Rodd who gave Audrey the fabulous” Tears of Russia” Tiara which she often wears to this day. The couple had a huge Hollywood wedding at which sexpot Annie Day burst out of her gown lunging for the bridal bouquet.

(Audrey in the delightful “Breakfast At Woolworth’s)

The newlyweds moved into a huge Bel Air mansion that had once belonged to fallen screen star Margaret Elliot. Audrey’s happiness was to be short lived, however. Tragically Rodd was struck by a tourist bus outside Van Cleef and Arpels in Beverly Hills and killed instantly.

At the time Audrey was finishing production on the Civil War epic, “Wetbush County”. Ever the trooper she missed only one day’s filming to attend the funeral of her husband, at which the grieving Audrey, (Elegant in a black Dalian et rae) was mobbed by reporters. When “Wetbush” was released she received great reviews and another Oscar nomination, but despondent Audrey began having problems with the pills she had taken steadily since childhood and the massive quantities of caffeine that fueled her star’s shine. On a weekend bring at Las Vegas’ Hideaway Casino Audrey was introduced to nightclub singer Bobby Sailor by actress Kay O’Pectate.

The two stars began an affair that shocked Hollywood and the world when Sailor left his wife Debbie Dallas to marry Audrey, now dubbed by the press as “The Black Widow”.

Thou the marriage was never a happy one, Audrey did some of her finest work in the next few years. First there was “Kitten on a Cold Wood Floor” Adapted from an ill-fated Broadway play with Helen Lawson and Annie Day. Audrey took over the Day role and made the picture a success. Then came “Butifico-8” and “Breakfast at Woolworth’s”

Her greatest triumph was in “Suddenly Last Call” a shocking tale of a barfly who is institutionalized after the closing lights in her bar illuminate her cousin’s grizzly murder. For this role she receive her seventh Oscar nomination.

(TIME cover for “Suddenly Last Call”)

Shortly before the awards ceremony Audrey was dining at Perino’s with Joan Crawford when she choked on a chicken bone and had to be rushed to the hospital where she nearly died. It was a visibly weakened Taylor who appeared at the Oscars. When her name was announced as the best actress the audience cheered as Audrey resplendent as always in a magnificent Dalian et rae gown, ran to the stage to accept the prized statuette.

Scandal followed upon the heels of acclaim when in Rome on the set of “Pompeia” she fell for married British actor Richard Bourbon. As the affair blazed across the newspapers of the world and her marriage to crooner Bobby Sailor crumbed the film ran into huge budget overruns nearly bringing Imperium International into bankruptcy. Suffering from a weak script the film was a huge success due to the scandal. Its highlight was an elaborate scene of Audrey entering the Baths of Pompey astride a golden bull borne by Nubian slaves.

Then came the film version of the Broadway hit “Low Fair Lady” (again dubbed by Marnie Nixon) Audrey was woefully miscast and the film was her first flop. A great big FLOP! The Bourbon’s decided to work together again on “The Sandcrabs” this proved to be another flop and the marriage began to show strains. Richard was a notorious drinker and Audrey was often wild on caffeine. The fights became legendary.

Desperate for a hit but nervous about carrying another picture on her shoulders, Audrey took a secondary role in her next film, “Who The Hell Am I, Anyway?” The film was a psychological thriller featuring Irish star Kay O’Pectate as a woman with multiple personalities tormenting her sister played by Annie Day. Audrey had the pivotal role of the neighbor but it was not a highlight of her career.

It was Bourbon who coaxed his wife into her next film, “I’m Afraid of Virginia Graham!” Audrey gained thirty pounds to play her first frump who shouted vulgarity all night long at Bourbon and co-stars Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee. Dee was hospitalized with acute hysterical blindness because Audrey’s performance on the set was so disturbing. The film brought excellent reviews and one more Oscar nomination for Taylor.

It was at a post-Oscar party at the home of Dinah Thurst that Audrey (in a snit over loosing the Oscar and high on champagne, pills and her usual caffeine) stunned the party goers by doing an impromptu strip tease. Caught by a photographer the pictures were flashed around the world.

Financial difficulties followed. Despite huge salaries, Richard spent million alone on Audrey’s appetite for jewelry, designer fashions and wigs. On top of that there was the mansion in Bel Air, the homes in London, Mismaloya, and a huge villa outside of Rome. Strapped for cash the famous couple appeared in a string of regrettable flops that last being “Bang!”. Shortly after “Bang!” fizzled at the box office the battling Bourbons were divorced.

(50th Birthday Photo and single again. )

Audrey took what cash was left and her jewels and moved to the Roman villa where she went into semi-retirement. She made a few screen appearances in the following years. There was an Italian production called “Incoerente” (“Incoherent” in Britain and the US) and a cameo in “Airport 81”. Her last TV appearance was as a guest spot on “Dynasty” as Alexis Carrington’s good twin sister. She was killed off after only three episodes.

(Still a Tabloid favorite!)

Today Audrey lives alone in her lovely Edwardian home in San Francisco where she entertains close friends such as Annie Day and Rusllyn Rozzel. When asked if she would ever return to the screen she declined to comment from behind her heavily veiled face. When we pressed her to name her favorite perfume she smiled.

“Chanel No.5 darling. What else could it be?”

Her home is on the grey line tour of the city and often fans are thrilled to see Audrey at the window waving to them. Always the gracious star to her adoring public.

AUDREY TAYLOR ~ STAR!

Audrey Annie Kay Rusllyn

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You just made my night, Lanier. Audrey Taylor was so beautiful!! Elizabeth had violet eyes but Audrey had stunning amber eyes. I love that article–such a perfect spoof of old Hollywood, could have been a spread in LIFE Magazine! I especially like Jack Rodd and Richard Bourbon. Thank you so much for sharing this–Audrey was sensational!

Oh my God. That’s what one can call a fascinating and absolutely fabulous story. Poor Miss Audrey Taylor. By any chance, isn’t Highteasing On Wigg in the Cotswolds between Chipping Camden and Chipping Norton ? I do think it is… lovely little corner of England. Stayed few days in Burford in __87, such a long time ago. It seems that I am always repeating myself but everyone o the face of Earth should be obliged to see ” Suddenly, last Summer” , just like in Clockwork Orange, with Miss Taylor at her best. Also, isn’t her on the cover of the Rolling Stones album Undercover ? I think it is her because of the lips. Thanks for such amusing piece, as usual, great reading. Have a nice week end.

I had no idea that the great Audrey Taylor was a native of this Sceptered Isle.
Highteasing On Wig you say – now I do believe I have family there. I must get in touch to see if anyone remembers old Aud.
So technically being a subject of Her Britannic Majesty, that means Liz is eligible for an honour…
Now I could try for her to become a Baroness, but I think that I little unlikely, but I’m sure we could swing her a Damehood.
Stranger things have happened I hear that hack writer Barbara Cobbler-Sheffield’s up for one
I’ll have a little world with Ian Cameron’s boy. What’s his name, Jamie, Simon, Dave? Something like that.
A spiffing biography, often thought of doing a memoir myself. Haven’t lived LT’s sort of life obviously but…

Dear Perfumed Dandy,
Audrey was just so tickled at the idea of being a Dame! And she asked me to tell you that yes she knew your cousins the Dandy Twins Dafydd and Dawe. back in Highteasing On Wigg. They had a double crush on her and she used to puzzle deep into the night trying to figure out which of the two boys was the handsomest.
You should do a biography, the auto-bio kind. I know there are many adventures in the past waiting to be told about The Perfumed Dandy.

I swear to God, I saw Miss Audrey Taylor the last time I was in SF in Union Square, wrapped in cashmere and getting an assist into her Daimler by a liveried chauffeur. I wanted to get her autograph, but she’s still just so damn dazzling, I couldn’t move! But, I did notice she was clutching a small bag from an extremely prized perfume house in her elegantly gloved hand… You know, you’d never know this from seeing her on the screen, but Audrey Taylor in real life is extraordinarily tall! Much love from the pipsqueak, otherwise known as, V

Yes she is very tall… Rock Hudson had to stand on a box to kiss her in “A View From The Hill” I told Audrey about your chance encounter and she says she will send you an autograph.She was very touched by your comments Miss V.

Here I am once again trying to get caught up on my reading. I have been laughing out loud for the last 20 minutes. This was fantastic! I wonder if Audrey has any sordid tales about her first co-star Lossie??! If only the stars were still this glamorous!

BEGUILING HOLLYWOOD
Vickie Lester knows a few things about Hollywood, past and present. One of my absolute favorite must read blogs in town. (don’t mention that I told you but her real name is Esther Blodgett.)

FRAGANTICA
Find a fragance, make friends, write reviews and connect with other frag heads!

FRAGRANCE TALK
Cubby’s site and just about the best online reviewer there is. His video reviews are the BEST!

Garance Doré
Brilliant, warm, sweet and funny, but beyond all that a great photographer of fasion and video blogger.

GRAIN DE MUSC
Denyse Beaulieu’s fabulous blog. Her book The Perfume Lover about the creation of Saville A L’aube by L’Artisan Parfumur is a must read that is next on my must read list. Thanks Katie Puckrick for turning me on to Denyse’s blog.

RIVIERA NAYARIT GRINGO
My friend Earl Miller’s blog about life in the magical town of San Pancho Mexico. Check it out and if you are heading down there stay at Earl’s Roberto’s Bungalows.

SCENT TRAILS
The Frunkinator’s great site for locating perfume brick and mortar shops around the globe. Also listed are perfume events. Great Site!

SCENTRY ~ Perfume Stories
In the words of its Editor, “We feature creative people from all over the world, and the things that connect them with perfume: fantasy, sensuality, vision, and inspiring stories.

SMELL AND TELL
The adventures of a 20 something in Romania and an obsession with fragrances. Very interesting.

SMELLY THOUGHTS
Freddie Albrighton the up and coming l’enfant terrible of perfume blogging! He is brilliant!

TOP 10 FRAGRANCES
“A blog for perfume lovers by perfume lovers.” Jasper Buckingham and his wife who are based in France have a really fine fragance blog. check it out and Jasper’s YouTube channel as well.

WHAT MEN SHOULD SMELL LIKE
From somewhere south west of Tahiti comes this great blog by my buddy Clayton. You are going to thank me for taking you to the land down under.

ZGO Blog
The wonderful and fragrant San Francisco perfume and candle shop now has a fabulous blog!

HAYDRIA PERUMERY
My friend Haydrya has a fabulous perfume house. Perfumes inspired by the glamour decades of the 20th Century from the 20’s to the 60’s. Perfumes handmade with love. Such wonderful names as “Tainted Love”, “L’Eau Exotique, and “Black Mamba”. Check it out!

HISTORIES DE PERFUMS ~ PARIS
A really exciting house…they even make a new perfume “Peter and Alice” that comes in a cupcake flacon. Look for the new “Veni, Vedi, Vici” line as well. Cardamon and Julius Caesar!

HOUBIGANT ~ Paris
The oldest perfume house in existence, founded in Paris in 1775. Marie Antoinette loved their perfumes so much that she had her coachman stop at the perfume house during her attempted escape from Paris in 1789. The house be came the perfumer to royalty

ONE SEED PERFUME
A great little niche house with a heart as big as the Outback. ” One Seed donates 10% of profits to organisations close to our heart, including Collective Shout and Australia Hope International.”

PK Perfume
Paul Kiler is a California Perfumer who creates wonderful scents inspired by the perfumes of the early 20th Century. All formulated from the best natural materials available to him.

SHAY & BLUE ~ LONDON
A brand new perfume house created by ex Senior Vice President of Chanel and former Global General Manager of Jo Malone Ltd and up and coming perfumer Julie Massé . Looks really interesting to me.

THE 7 VIRTUES ~ Perfumes
The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc. is a Canadian company that believes we must flex our buying power to empower families in countries that are rebuilding. In one instance for the Noble Rose perfume they are turning drug poppies farms in Afghanistan into rose farms

TOM FORD ~ FRAGRANCE MEN
The Ellegant and expensive Mr. Ford. His talents are many from fashion to film. His nose is beyond compare.

WEIL PARFUMS
They started out as furriers in 1912. First perfumes were to scent the fur coats.

PERFUME SHOPPING

AEDES DE VENUSTAS ~ NEW YORK
Aedes de Venustas is a great place to shop for scent in New York. They stock the impossible to find you have been searching for high and low. Just GO!

HOUBIGANT ~ Paris
The oldest perfume house in existence, founded in Paris in 1775. Marie Antoinette loved their perfumes so much that she had her coachman stop at the perfume house during her attempted escape from Paris in 1789. The house be came the perfumer to royalty

THE 7 VIRTUES ~ Perfumes
The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc. is a Canadian company that believes we must flex our buying power to empower families in countries that are rebuilding. In one instance for the Noble Rose perfume they are turning drug poppies farms in Afghanistan into rose farms

ZGO San Francisco
The most exciting new personal scent store in San Francisco. World class Perfumes, Candles, and bath soaps. Drop in for a great olfactory experience and tell them Lanier from Scents Memory sent you.

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